News broke Sunday morning that three-star defensive lineman Christian LaCouture (Lincoln, Neb./Southwest) decommitted from Nebraska. What many don’t know is that LaCouture, the No. 3 player in the state of Nebraska, had doubts about his commitment for some time.
LaCouture said he made his decision public on Sunday to avoid being a distraction for teammate Josh Banderas’ U.S. Army All-American jersey presentation this week and Southwest’s playoff game against Omaha (Neb.) North on Friday. The decision, LaCouture said, actually was made a couple weeks ago.
“I talked it over with my family. It was something we thought about,” LaCouture said. “I wanted to tell coaches face to face. I told coach [Bo] Pelini because I have the utmost respect for them.
“It really wasn’t one reason; there were multiple reasons. It was just some things we talked about over and over again, and it was a family decision.”
So now, the question is: What’s next for the 6-foot-5, 267-pound lineman who can play both tackle and end? LaCouture said he will take an official visit to Baton Rouge, La., this weekend for the big LSU-Alabama clash. LaCouture has an offer from the Tigers, and he said this weekend’s trip will be “strictly business.”
“With me graduating early, I’ll need to make a decision very soon,” LaCouture said. “[Area recruiter] Coach [Steve] Kragthorpe and I have a great relationship back from when he was at Texas A&M. It’s not just football with him. My family’s really with him. When I told him I wanted to take a visit down there, he was ecstatic.”
LaCouture, who participated in The Opening over the summer in Beaverton, Ore., said he’s looking forward to seeing Kragthorpe, defensive line coach Brick Haley and head coach Les Miles once he makes it to LSU. He’s made the trip to Baton Rouge three times already.
LaCouture’s recruiting journey has been a roller coaster. He originally committed to Texas A&M in January 2011 but decommitted in March. He chose Nebraska in May over LSU and Michigan. Some of the other programs that have offered include Oklahoma State, Missouri, Texas Tech and Utah. LaCouture and his family moved from College Station, Texas, to Lincoln to be close to Nebraska following graduation.